Classical simulations of quantum systems

We are recruiting new Doctoral Researchers to our EPSRC funded Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) PhD studentships starting 1 October 2023. Applications are invited for the project Classical simulations of quantum systems

Successful applicants will receive an annual stipend (bursary) of approximately £19,668, including inner London weighting, plus payment of their full-time home tuition fees for a period of 42 months (3.5 years).

You should be eligible for home (UK) tuition fees there are a very limited number (no more than three) of studentships available to overseas applicants, including EU nationals, who meet the academic entry criteria including English Language proficiency.

You will join the internationally recognised researchers in the Department of Mathematics

The Project

The race to build a quantum computer has brought more prominence to a longstanding problem – when quantum systems can, or cannot, be efficiently simulated on a conventional classical computer. Answers to this question could have dramatic consequences, as they could resolve questions concerning the power of computational algorithms, as well as lead to improved methods for simulating quantum systems. The project aims to develop new approaches to the classical simulation of quantum systems, as well as explore connections to questions in the foundations of physics, such as nonlocality and the nature of probability.

Please contact Dr Shash Virmani at shash.virmani@brunel.ac.uk for an informal discussion about the studentships.

Eligibility

Applicants will have or be expected to receive a first or upper-second class honours degree in an Engineering, Computer Science, Design, Mathematics, Physics or a similar discipline. A Postgraduate Masters degree is not required but may be an advantage.

Skills and Experience

Applicants will be required to demonstrate a solid background in a mathematical subject such as mathematics, theoretical physics, or theoretical computer science. They should also be willing to learn, be curious, and willing to try to think creatively.

You should be highly motivated, able to work independently as well as in a team, collaborate with others and have good communication skills.

How to apply

There are two stages of the application:

1.Applicants must submit the pre-application form via the following link https://brunel.onlinesurveys.ac.uk/epsrc-dtp-23-24-pre-application-form-brunel-university-lon-3

by 16.00 on Friday 26th May 2023.

2.If you are shortlisted for the interview, you will be asked to email the following documentation in a single PDF file to cedps-studentships@brunel.ac.uk within 24hrs.

Your up-to-date CV;
Your Undergraduate degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) essential;
Your Postgraduate Masters degree certificate(s) and transcript(s) if applicable;
Your valid English Language qualification of IELTS 6.5 overall (minimum 6.0 in each section) or equivalent, if applicable;
Contact details for TWO referees, one of which can be an academic member of staff in the College.

Applicants should therefore ensure that they have all of this information in case they are shortlisted.

Interviews will take place in June 2023.

Meet the Supervisor(s)

Shash Virmani - I am a theoretical physicist working in the theory of quantum information and computation. My research to date has covered aspects of entanglement theory, architectures for quantum computing, quantum channel capacities, classical simulation of quantum systems, and the construction of local hidden variable models. For more details on my research, please see my research tab.

Related Research Group(s)

Applied and Numerical Analysis - Focused on the analysis of mathematical models of biological, chemical or physical processes.